Engine starters



Nov. 3, 1959 1.. T. BOSSARD ETAL 2,910,873

ENGINE STARTERS Filed Nov. 25, 1955 IN VEN TOR-5 lepay ZBouard B Made/1. Es/rrid e nited States This invention relates to starting devices for large engines, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved power unit provided with friction type power take off means for engaging the fly wheel of a large engine to start said large engine. This application is a continuation-in-part of applicants co-pending application Serial No. 403,580, entitled Engine Starter and filed on January 12, 1954, now Patent No. 2,725,752.

Heavy duty power plants, such as used in the oil industry, are normally provided with a large horizontal engine for operation thereof. These large engines are usually provided with a large fly Wheel which must be rotated in order to start the engine. It is very difficult and often dangerous to initiate the rotation of the fly wheel by manual means. The present invention, there fore, contemplates a simple and eflicient engine starter which comprises a small easily started engine having a friction type power take off adapted to intermittently engage the fly wheel of the large engine. The rotation of the friction pulley of the power take off transmits rotation or torque to the fly wheel of the large engine upon contact therewith for facilitating the starting thereof. The friction pulley may be readily moved into and out of engagement with the large fly wheel by means of an easily actuated foot lever. Upon starting of the large engine, the friction pulley may be moved away from the fly wheel by means of the foot lever, and the operation of the small engine maybe ceased. Thus, the present invention provides a simple and eflicient engine starter which is durable and economical in operation and construction.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a novel starter mechanism for initiating the operation of large engines in an expedient and safe manner.

It is another object of this invention to provide a starter mechanism for large engines whereby a friction surface may be readily moved into contact with the fly wheel of a large engine for initiating rotation thereof for starting of the large engine in a simple and eflicient manner.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a starter mechanism for large engines which is of a simple and compact construction for facilitating the manipulation and operation thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved starter mechanism for initiating the operation of large engines which is economical and durable in construction and simple and eflicient in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the fly wheel of a large horizontal engine and improved starting means embodying the present invention, the starting means being shown located adjacent the fly wheel.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1. 1

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional detail view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1 with portions shown in dotted lines for purposes of illustration.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional detail view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character 10 refers in general to a relatively large horizontal engine having a relatively large fly wheel 12 which must be rotated in order to start the engine 10. A relatively small air cooled engine, generally designated at 14, is disposed adjacent the fly wheel 12. The engine 14 is rigidly secured to a channel member 16 in any suitable manner, such as bolts 15. The channel member 16 is pivotally secured between a pair of spaced angle iron side members 18 and 20 which are secured to the floor adjacent the engine 10. The members 18 and 20 extend substantially parallel to the plane of the fly wheel 12 and are preferably spaced apart by means of a pair of slat members 22, only one of which is shown, disposed at the opposite ends of the side members 18 and 20. A transverse pivot bar 24 extends between the side members 18 and 20 and is suitably secured to the channel member 16 to provide for pivotal movement thereof with respect to the side members 18 and 20. Thus, the small air cooled engine 14 is pivotally mounted for rotation in a plane parallel to the plane of the fly wheel 12 around the axis defined by the transverse shaft 24, said shaft 24 being located adjacent the left ends of the side members 18 and 20 as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

Designated at 26 is a pulley which is mounted on the out put shaft 28 of the small engine 14. The out put shaft 28 is driven in any conventional manner by the mall engine 14, preferably through suitable gearing to provide a substantial speed reduction between the crank shaft of the engine 14 and the out put shaft 28, as for example, a six-to-one speed reduction. The reduction gearing may be contained in a suitable housing or gear box 30 provided on the engine 14.

The pulley 26 is covered with a friction surface 32 which may comprise a rubber covering on the periphery of the pulley. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pulley 26 is located sub-adjacent to and in the same plane as the large fly wheel 12 and may be elevated into contact with the peripheral surface of the fly wheel 12 by lifting the engine 14 and rotating the engine upwardly around the shaft 24.

The side members 18 and 20 preferably extend beyond the channel member 16 at the right end thereof, as seen in the drawings, to receive a transverse shaft 34 journaled therebetween. A lever arm 36 is rigidly secured to one end of the shaft 34. The lever arm 36 is provided with a suitable foot pedal 38 at its outer extremity to facilitate operation thereof as will be hereinafter set forth. An arm member 40 is rigidly secured to the shaft 34 substantially medial thereof in a position underlying the top flange of the channel member 16. The arm 40 is provided with a cam surface 42 (Fig. 3) at one end thereof adjacent the channel member 16, and the opposite end thereof is provided with a tapered portion 44 for limiting the notation of the shaft 34 in one direction as will be hereinafter set forth.

As will be readily apparent from Figs. 2 and 3, when the pedal 36 is'depressed as shown by the arrow in Fig. 2, the shaft 34 will be rotated in a clockwise: direction, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3. As the shaft 34 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the cam surface 42 of the arm 40 will contact the channel member 16 for elevation thereof as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Upon sufiicient clockwise rotation of the shaft 34, the tapered surface 44 of the arm 40 will contact the cross member 22, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, fol limiting the clockwise rotation of the shaft 347" Tans; accidental disengagement of the cam surface 42 and the channel member 16 is pre' qlh ed he yetion of th hannel m e 1.6 lifts we at. --1 3,-1.1 t.- i.-: ,mwltu' 1 H i t the motor 14 for r0 ation in a countercl kyyise d eci t w l be a ht th he BBE I and'exped ient mealis. for starthis ar in The, la i e t e 'i iy e bydepressingafoot pedal'iil emerge bring he friction surface of'a rotating pulley iiito contact witht hefly wheel of the large engine; The phy cal contact of the friction shrfacefadjaceht the fly 'wh" i ansmits' rotational motih drt rqne" to'the fi e fo st ting bfttie engine. Thus,'th'epreser 1ti f M f is simple a'nd'efii i'a'aperation and econoinic al and d b in r giant t. t .i 4. Changes may bemaae in the combination and arrangement'ofparts as here "re set'rerta inth'e specification and shown in the dra s, itheingunderstoodthatany inedifica'tiq inthe pr ise'embodiment of the invention maybe made with without depaftingff r ni'the 'spirit of the invention. m a v t 1'. -Astarter for a large engine having a fly wheel and comprising a hasem' rhbef, a'srriall engine pivotally Iilotint jd on the base'meinbe'r in a filagnner tofrotate in a plane parallel to th'e'pla'rie ofthefly w eel, a pulley haember secured to the small' eng {rotation thereliy, a friction surface element provided on' the periphery of said pulley, and means for moving the" small engine toward he wheel toengagefth'e pulley with the fly wheel b member," a l said pivotal movement of the small engine in one direct causingcontact between the pulley and the fly wheel, anf a tapjeredfsufface provided at one end of the arm "2C A'starter for alarge engine having a fly Wheel and.

ae see 'e er'the follpw fin'g tangle s 'd ineafns compris g a, pivotal shaft journaled in the inemherj providing rotation of the s aft, "and an arm member rigidly secured to the shaft fofpivoting the small engine upon rotation of theshaff,

me he f rf l rriitirrgf "t e rg'taaea or; the saga ta Sara igidly sec ed tothe shaft and her in a direction for providing contact of the friction element" of the p'filley' member with the fly wheel; 'anaa tapered surface provided at the opposite end of the arm member for limiting the rotation of the shaft in said direction.

3. A starter for a large engine having a fly wheel and comprising a small engine mounted on a channel memher, said channel member pivotally secured to a base member disposed adjacent the fly wheel, a pulley connected to the small engine for rotation thereby, a friction surface element provided came periphery of the pull e y, said. base member ext ndin he ehd he hahhel m mb to receive a transverse pivotal shaft, a lever memberrigidly secured adjacent bneend of the shaft for rotation thereof, an arm member secured to the shaft substantially medial thereofia cam surface provided at one end of the arm to contact the channel member for pivoting the fricen elem nt the en ine tewer fly Wh e upon Q rection of ro t pn f th s aft and g eam. f r imitin the, qta en t ha n, said d eti h t p eh hd di i e a m nt of the hi ur e and he han l memb 4- A st r r fer a large en ine ha in a y Wh el a d e hp is ng a smal engine m un ed n a chann l mew: her, said chan memb r ive a ly s emed. t a ba me er d sbos d adja ent the fly hee anh e whnected to the small engine for rotatien thereby, a frictign r a e element pr tid h th P r phery ef th Pull y, ai ase m hher. extend heyehd' the cha n m mbe to receive a transverse pivotal shaft, said shaft journalled nv h bas m m r be ow th hanne memb r a i m mbe r dly e u e a ja e ehe ndv 7 h h f r o ation, he e f, an arm mem en secu ed t9 the a t hh en a y m iah thereof a am sur a e previile a the e d ere f 9. nta t t e he hel m he t f r p et h heftriet oh. el m nt of; th en ne war e fly whee up n et t eh t the haft in th d ec i n; an e l a 1 proyfl r ed ith a ap redr e tioh at he. ppes te end f ter qntac the ba e. memhe fo hn t n h es v f the Pivot shat n; sa d: di ection tojpr c hde. di enment of: he cam s rface d th cha el. membe 5; A start fe a. a ge ngine ha in a fiy-wh eli and comp s ng a base membe pee d: a iaeent t e y w l, tr ns erse pi e alf ha iourna le t eiqphsi e.

ends. oi th flbas m mbe a chah el leathe ure hetion thereby and adapted to contact the fly wheel upon m v men f: he. ma l e gih n i -ir ieh ew rd h fiy wheel.

References heh hfihi leqfihheteht UNITED STATES PATENTS;

795,501 atfi ld a 1- Iuly 2 .5 1,185910 Johnston rq eaig s 2,521, 19 Armstr'e Sep t.5 1950- 2,692,505 Ashcroft" t a1. peeps, 1954 72.57 ss rdyetal! --,-:-t-,-.- -,-v Dee- 6 9 he nde r e ie 

